Bonding Time
by Sami-Fire
Summary: Hiro gives Yamato a little surprise, and the two of them have a somewhat unexpected bonding session over it.


"Hey, Yamato, I hope you're not busy today!"

Hiro Kageyama strode up to Yamato with a spring in his step and a cheeky smile on his face. "So? Are you busy?"

Yamato sighed and wheeled around in his chair to face Hiro. When Hiro was in one of these moods, it didn't particularly matter whether Yamato was busy or not. "Does it really matter?"

It wasn't as if Hiro would just straight-up interrupt Yamato's day, of course. "Oh, well, if you have time, I had a surprise for you! But if you don't, it can wait."

Yamato looked into Hiro's eyes for a moment, as if trying to figure out what the surprise was by probing his mind. "I suppose I do have some time on my hands," he said at last with a small smile. "Is this going to be another one of those 'learning experiences' that you love to introduce me to so much?"

"I guess you can call it that." Hiro led Yamato to the couch in Yamato's luxurious room (he was the top dog in this new world; of course he would have the best room). "Sit down and wait here!" Hiro left, and then returned with a covered dish, which he uncovered to reveal a steaming heap of takoyaki. "Surprise!"

Yamato did look genuinely surprised for a moment. "Ah, Hiro, you know me too well. You know this is a weakness of mine." A weakness… now he frowned. The leader of the new world wasn't supposed to have any weaknesses.

Hiro shook his head. "It's not a weakness. It's a liking." Here Hiro's face grew more serious, his smile fading. "Yamato, you need to learn that it's okay to relax and enjoy yourself. I thought you got it when you sent me that picture of your takoyaki that one time, but I don't think you do. Look at you, calling simply liking food a weakness. By that logic, I have a ton of weaknesses."

"You may be right." The slight smile came back to Yamato's face. "So… are we to share this? Or is it all for me?"

"I wouldn't mind having a few, thanks," Hiro said with a chuckle. He picked up one takoyaki ball with his chopsticks and held it out for Yamato to take. "Here, you first!"

Yamato scowled at the offering. "I can feed myself, thank you very much."

"Aw, come on! Give me the satisfaction of giving you just one." Hiro grinned deviously, mischief in the look in his eyes.

There was a pause as Yamato considered whether to allow this or not. "Fine." With that, he took the bite and chewed thoughtfully. "Do that again."

A look of genuine surprise crossed Hiro's face. "What happened to 'I can feed myself?'"

"Somehow, it feels… special when you do it." A faint blush was rising to Yamato's face. "Do it again."

"Is that so? Well, here you go, then." Smiling more gently, Hiro readied another piece for Yamato, which was promptly taken.

Yamato's next move surprised Hiro. This time, Yamato took a piece and offered it to Hiro. "It's my turn. You can take this one."

"Hey, thanks!" Hiro took the piece that was offered to him. "See? I think you're getting the hang of this."

"Maybe I am. Here, have another," Yamato said as he offered another piece. However, when Hiro went to take this one, Yamato took it away and popped it into his mouth.

"What was that for?" Hiro's tone was more amused than anything else. That was a truly unexpected move from Yamato.

"…It was just a whim," Yamato mumbled sheepishly.

"Look at you! You're learning to let go of yourself and have a little fun. That's great!" Hiro was truly proud of Yamato's little advances. He took a piece of takoyaki and popped it right into his mouth. "You don't get this one after what you pulled!"

"Fine! Then you don't get this one either!" Yamato remarked, gesturing with the piece now between his chopsticks.

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

Hiro was the first to laugh; Yamato soon followed suit. As silly as it all seemed, Yamato was having _fun_. He was legitimately enjoying his time with Hiro. The little feast continued onward, and so did the teasing and the poking at and the laughter.

* * *

Both men lay splayed out on the couch, an empty plate in front of them. Yamato felt dizzy; he was absolutely not used to eating so much at one time. Yet it was a good sort of dizzy, a blissful sort. His head was hazy and he didn't mind.

Hiro, being a little more used to the occasional indulgence, was less dizzy. He lolled his head over to Yamato's side of the couch. "So? How did you like it?"

"Mm. Was good," Yamato mumbled, immersed in his little fog. Was this what they called a food coma? How strange.

"You sound like you're gonna conk out any minute now," Hiro replied, sitting up a bit more to watch Yamato. Yes, Yamato was dozing off, alright. "That's okay. You can rest. There's nothing wrong with it."

"Don't I have something left to do…?" Yamato's eyes were glazed over as he mumbled out his speech. If he did have something left to do, he was not doing it any time soon.

So, since Yamato certainly was in no condition to get up and work again, Hiro just fired off a guess. "No, you don't. It'll be fine. Take a nap if you need it."

No response. Yamato must have been taking his right-hand man's advice. Noting the other's unresponsiveness, Hiro stood up and went to go dispose of the plate. When he came back, Yamato was snoring. Softly, but snoring nonetheless. Hiro knew from experience that Yamato was not a loud snorer.

Hiro plopped down on the couch next to his dozing friend and got comfortable himself. Once he did, an idea came into his mind, a little experiment. Carefully, he inched his hand over to Yamato's, his fingers tracing the other's. However, Hiro was surprised to find that Yamato took his hand and held it, not quite like a venus flytrap snapping down on its prey (that would be a touch too fast), but quite fast for someone who was supposed to be sleeping.

"Your hand is soft," murmured Yamato, his hand wrapping around Hiro's and his fingers running over the hand. "It feels special."

"You can hold it for as long as you want," Hiro said softly, like he was talking to a child. Now that he thought about it, Yamato was a little childish when it came to social situations that he was unfamiliar with. That pouting when first offered the takoyaki, so many days ago… it was almost kind of funny.

"Come closer," Yamato said in a voice that was surprisingly demanding for a sleepy person. Hiro did so, only to be told to come closer again till he was right next to Yamato, at which point the silver-haired man shifted to rest his head on Hiro's shoulder, still holding Hiro's hand hostage in the process. "This will do."

Hiro couldn't help but chuckle at Yamato's strange actions. It was almost cute, if anything Yamato did could be described as "cute." He adjusted the hand not currently in Yamato's vicegrip so that it was over his shoulders, and gave his head a few gentle strokes. Yamato sighed in his blissful drowsing and nestled into Hiro's hand, clearly enjoying the contact. It looked like Hiro had found another little weakness of Yamato's, but he wouldn't dare call it out at a time like this.

Once he'd had no response from Yamato for a good few minutes, Hiro adjusted himself to take a little nap, leaning on Yamato as the other was leaning on him.

* * *

Yamato woke up very suddenly, but not with a start or any kind of physical movement at all. "Hiro?"

Hiro demonstrated his special waking-up skills that let him wake up the second someone knocked on his door. "Yes?"

Yamato opened his eyes all the way, and then saw the position that the two of them were entangled in. "…Goodness," he mumbled, more than a little embarrassed to find himself as entwined with Hiro as he was.

"Did you have a nice nap?" Hiro rubbed his eyes, then looked at Yamato with his usual brightness.

"Um… yes." Yamato shook his head, as if trying to shake the memories of what had transpired out. His gaze went from shocked but sleepy to serious. "Hiro. You are not to breathe a word of what happened with your little surprise to anyone. Understood?"

"Understood," said Hiro with a smile. "Did you at least enjoy it? Do you feel relaxed?"

There was a pause, and Yamato closed his eyes and smiled as he thought it over. "I did, and I do. I enjoy my time with you, Hiro. I really do. It's… special to me." He didn't even feel guilty about indulging himself like he did. Hiro had that effect on him, that strange effect of making nearly everything he did seem okay.

"Good!" Hiro seemed to be almost beaming at Yamato's little confession. "Would you like to do it again? I mean, it doesn't have to be anytime soon. I'm just saying sometime."

"I think I would. Perhaps I'll surprise you next time, hm?" Yamato gave one of his little laughs. "We'll see. But until then… thank you, Hiro. I guess I am learning."

"I think you are. And you're more than welcome, Yamato."


End file.
